Spokane holds candlelight vigil for Newtown, Connecticut

Spokane is doing its part to support the victims and families of today's tragic shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.

Early Friday evening, someone placed a basket of paper hearts at the fountain at Riverfront Park and asked that notes of encouragement be written for the families of Newtown, Connecticut.

Slowly, around 8 o'clock, a large crowd began to gather around the hearts near the fountain for a candlelight vigil.

Jenny Yokum, with her 4-year-old son in tow, organized the vigil and began to pray.

"God in heaven, father God in heaven, please wrap all the families that are hurting in your arms tonight and show them the grace and the love that you have, that I know that you have, that you can bring peace in the most trying and horrible of times to show people that your love can be enough," Yokum prayed.

She prayed in a time when so many don't know what else to do.

"I just feel like we really need to try to support the good and the love in the world and send that to all the people in that community as much love as we can because they're going to need it," Yokum said.

Others filled in messages of love on those paper hearts left by a mystery person.

"I feel really bad for the families and I wrote on a note card 'god bless them'," 11-year-old Jaylen Fourstar said.

The vigil inspired young and old to come out and open their hearts. Zach Kendall, 17, asked his generation to use this tragedy to wake up and start making a difference.

"I don't have any brothers or sisters, anybody that I feel like we're connected to or anything like that, but I feel like this is the most disturbing thing that I think has ever happened," Kendall said.

Though the hurt is still raw - especially for parents at the vigil Friday night - the healing began.